Lost Connection
by red.flames.burn
Summary: "This is the first of my many insomnia videos." In which a blonde girl is lost and a black haired boy brings back the connections. Annabeth needs some hope or just a little bit of love to make things better, but Percy seems to have lost his was entirely. How do two ex-best friends make the struggle of living just slightly more bearable?


Chapter I

*September 15th, 2014*

Pre-log

I clicked play and the screen filled with a beautiful blond haired, gray-eyed girl, maybe around 16 or 17. Once she started talking though she was immediately recognizable. She opened her mouth and the sugary voice flowed out of the speakers. It was quiet so I turned the volume up a few notches.

"Hi" she said. I wasn't used to seeing her like this. Usually when she was performing or on T.V. she was dressed up and looked perfect, not like she didn't look perfect now.

"I know you know who I am, but I just want to introduce myself. Is that ok? It's not something I get to do much anymore. My name is Annabeth but most people know me as Zeila. Actually, Zeila is my middle name. Did you already know that? I know a lot of people do. I'm sorry for these videos in advance; they're going to be full of my problems. This is the first of my many insomnia videos." She spread her tanned arms wide. "So, stop it right here if you don't want to listen to me rant about how awful my life is at 2 or 3 or 4 in the morning because I can't sleep; but I didn't know who else to go to. And I realize that you could sell this to some magazine and make thousands of dollars off of it, but I am giving you my trust. Please, don't make me regret that."

I was captivated by her words, just like her music always captivates me when I listen to it. You could simply hear the feelings in her voice and lyrics, even the music accompanying her. She would always hide from everyone, but through her music, she shinned; almost like she was a different person in general.

She was dressed in a large sweatshirt her old high school mascot on it and she wore gray sweatpants. Her hair was down and framing her face. Her natural red/orange curls free and bouncing with her every movement. Her face free from the make-up that hides her perfect imperfections from me. So yes, she looked beautiful. Maybe even more so now that she was in her own clothes and being herself. I didn't even know why I had gotten this video, Or how. It simply popped up on my email. For all I knew, she didn't even have my email address. Why would _SHE_ send_ ME_ this?

I haven't seen her in 3 years. Before she was Zeila and everyone knew her. Back when she was a nobody at our school and had 4 friends. Back when I was bullying her and she would try to stop me. She would stand up for herself, yes, but in strange ways. I always felt bad about what I was doing, but really, I had no choice. Honestly, I still have no choice. I just wish I could have broken free from the people that had a hold on my neck. I wish I could have before it was too late. Now, I have no choice. Now, there's no way for me to break free. I'm in to deep.

"I know this will sound cliché and I know you won't believe me, but living a life in the spotlight is terrible. I don't understand how some people have lasted so long without going blind from the cameras or insane from the personal questions everyone is throwing, constantly. I'm sorry if you were expecting a shout out during a concert or for me to talk about you in one of my many interviews. I wanted to keep you for myself. Is that selfish of me to do that? I'm not really sure anymore. This whole new world is tearing me apart. I can't do anything about it and the worst of all; I've lost my love for my music. It scares me. Music was my everything. It kept me going through all my pain and storms. It kept me in an invisible shield that I locked myself in, keeping me safe from everything and everyone. Even you. And now I don't even have that anymore. I'm drowning and I don't have the strength to swim for air any longer. I'm losing myself."

By the looks of it, she was in a closet or something. What she was doing in a closet I wasn't sure, but the lighting wasn't great. I could just make out tears glistening in her eyes and dripping down her cheeks. Seeing her like that made me want to comfort her. I wanted to apologize for everything that I had done to her in 7th and 8th grade. _But you can't. She's gone._ I had done this to her. Her life is my fault and even though it seems like a great life she is in pain. _It's my fault._

"So I'm giving up. Don't freak. I'm not going to overdose or cut my wrist. I'm leaving my music. Hollywood and the spotlight. I'm leaving it all behind. I'm coming home. I'm coming back. At least for a little while."

I swore I stopped breathing once I heard those three words. I replayed that single sentence over, maybe 5 times. I couldn't believe it. She was coming back. On the screen, she smiled sadly at me.

"I can't wait to see you. I've missed you"

That's the thing about Annabeth. She always knew, even though I never told her, I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to hurt her. She didn't know what was going on with me but she knew I didn't mean it.

"I'll be back on Wednesday. I know, very last minute of me, but you should be used to that by now. Plus, I just convinced my agent to let me. She knows something is wrong with me but not the exact reason I need to go home." And a silence… and then: "God, what about my parents!" Her eyes got really wide.

I would have laughed at that if she didn't look so scared and nervous. Annabeth has ADHD so she was always springing random thoughts into the air. It's nice to see that some things will never change.

I'm guessing she forgot about her parents. You see, her relationship with her parents kind of died once she accepted the offer for a record deal and move to L.A. They didn't approve of her music even when she was just singing in her bedroom or while she was taking a shower.

"Oh, no! No, no no! The last time I saw them, you know what they did? Do you want to know what they told me? They told me if music were a part of my life, they would not be. They said to come back when I realized that I couldn't build a life off of making music and singing, and look how wrong they were. I haven't gotten as much as a phone call since then. Ugh, what am I going to tell them…."

Silence filled the video, yet again. She sat there, Indian style, with her head in her hands. Knowing June, she was trying to come up with a plan to avoid her parents while she was back. All of the sudden, her head shot up.

"Maybe Piper will let me bunk with her; or maybe Rachel or Grover! I hope they all don't hate me. How are all of them? Oh, and of course Phoenix! Tell her hello for me."

Phoenix is my younger sister by 10 months. We're in the same grade though because we are so close in age. She and Annabeth were always close, but when I started bullying her she got stuck in the middle of the mess. She was our mediator throughout

Everything. Piper, Rachel, Grover, Annabeth, Phoenix and I were once pretty close. Annie was our glue though, our backbone. Once she lost her way, she left, we fell into chaos. I talked to them every once in a while, but not much anymore. I know the three of them- Piper, Grover, and Rachel- started hanging out again, about 9 months ago. June never knew we stopped talking.

"Can I just stay with you while I'm back? I'll only be back for 4 or 5 weeks and I've stayed at your place longer than that before. Great, thanks. Yay, now I can't wait! See you on Wednesday. Bye! Wait! One more thing, um… well, Thalia might be coming along, as well. Okay… great talkin' to yah… See you in a few days."

She leaned forward and hit a button on the camera that was off the screen and out of my view. The last thing on the dulling screen that I saw was Zeila's bright, contagious smile and sparkling eyes full of excitement. A smile found its way onto my lips, I was excited too. And Annie, inviting herself over like old times, proved that she hasn't changed all that much. She was still the same girl, even if that girl was buried underneath a whole lot of false images and fake drama stories. I can just dig out the old girl, no matter how hard it will be.


End file.
